Meet the 79-YEAR-OLD mystery raver who has taken US festivals by storm – Daily Mail
by June 16, 2024By Sadie Whitelocks For Dailymail.com
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Raving isn’t just for millennials or Gen-Zs, as one 79-year-old is on a mission to prove.
Retiree Alan Grofé has become a much-loved fixture on the EDM festival scene, and DailyMail.com bumped into him at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami this March with his daughter and stepson.
Wearing one of his distinctive neon T-Shirts emblazoned with his nickname ‘Rave Pops,’ there was no stopping Grofé as he energetically pulled some moves amid the sweaty crowds by the drum and bass stage.
Thanks so his infectious energy, ‘Rave Pops’ has featured in dozens of TikTok videos and a clip of him at the 2016 Sunset Music Festival in Tampa went viral.
Back in the less manic confines of his Florida home, the grandfather-of-five, who has been to 45 raves to date, says that raving has taught him that ‘you’re never too old to do something you love!’
Retiree Alan Grofé has become a much-loved fixture on the EDM festival scene, and DailyMail.com bumped into him at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami this March
The dancer is often seen wearing one of his distinctive neon T-Shirts emblazoned with his nickname ‘Rave Pops’
Grofé was first introduced to electronic music by his DJ son Gavin in 1995. Detailing the chain of events, he says: ‘He was in the basement spinning drum and bass. I was totally in awe of it’
The grandfather-of-five says that raving has taught him that ‘you’re never too old to do something you love!’
The former tech and healthcare entrepreneur continues: ‘I had an assumption that I would never be accepted and respected by my young fellow ravers.
‘I have learned from others that by just being yourself, with openness, accessibility, and a happy demeanor, you can win their hearts and minds.’
Grofé was first introduced to electronic music by his DJ son Gavin in 1995.
Detailing the chain of events, the California native says: ‘He was in the basement spinning drum and bass and I was totally in awe of it.
‘It took me two more years of cajoling him to get him to let me go out to a rave with him in 1997.
‘That was in Washington, D.C., at a large club called the Capital Ballroom. It’s quite a magnificent building dating back to 1924 and it had different with rooms for house, trance, drum and base, and hip hop.’
At that first rave experience, Grofé said he made sure to stand behind the best dancers who were ‘by far, mostly women,’ and he learned to dance to the various music styles.
As a child he had been in a ballroom dancing troupe, so he had a good sense of rhythm and from that first encounter, he was hooked.
Rave pop!!! He said he was 80 years old #ravepop #edc #edcorlando #techno #edm #technomusic #grandpa #rave #electricdaisycarnival
As a child Grofé had been in a ballroom dancing troupe, so he had a good sense of rhythm and from that first encounter, he was hooked
In 1999, Grofé says he went on to have one of his most memorable clubbing experiences when he went to see Sasha and John Digweed, and Paul Van Dyk perform at the now defunct nightclub Twilo in New York where his daughter Paige worked at the time.
On the festival side of things, Grofé says he loved the long-running electronic dance event Starscape, which was held at Fort Armistead Park in Baltimore.
He recalled: ‘I attended Moonrise, which later morphed into the Starscape Festival, for nine straight years and that was when outdoor festivals were virtually unknown.
‘Many festivals later, it is still the one to remember.’
While his 80th birthday is around the corner along with his 55th wedding anniversary Grofé, who is also a keen runner, has no plans to slow his dancing antics down.
For those considering the ‘world of rave,’ Grofé says it is a must-do
The spritely septuagenarian pictured with his daughter Paige
Asked what his dream rave would be, the spritely septuagenarian responds: ‘Ahh, what a question! A three-day festival on the beach in Bali.
‘It would be with three or four stages scattered around that wonderful environment with a number of them floored with a totally danceable surface, replicating the wonderful wooden floor at the Capital Ballroom mentioned previously.
‘It would have state-of-the-art sound and visuals so that among the artists, my favorite DJ Eric Prydz could do his magic!’
For those considering the ‘world of rave,’ Grofé says it is a must-do.
Explaining what is so special about EDM culture, he concludes: ‘It is a combination of the communal nature of the experience, with so many like-minded people of all ages enjoying a wide variety of uplifting EDM music, and the sheer joy and physical exhilaration of non-stop dancing as if no one is watching!
‘Although it is not used as much anymore, the early theme that set the stage for it all was “PLUR” – Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect – which I still practice to this day.
‘I love it when young people come up to me and tell me they want to be like me when they grow up. My answer to them is that that have my permission.
‘Regardless of your age, just go and let the good vibes and music wash over you.’
Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd
Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group
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